73‑Year‑Old Indian Woman 'Maltreated' in US Detention, Accepts Minister Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (December 4) that 73-year-old Indian woman, Harjit Kaur, was maltreated in US detention before being deported to India adding that the government has taken up the issue with the US. His remarks came on the same day he informed parliament that 18,822 Indian nationals have been deported from the US since 2009, with the numbers rising sharply in 2025.

During Question Hour, Jaishankar said that all deportees are interviewed upon arrival by Indian immigration officials. In Kaur’s case, he clarified that she had not been handcuffed, countering certain claims, but reaffirmed that she had indeed faced mistreatment while in US custody.

“In this particular case, our immigration officer said that she [Kaur] was not cuffed,” the minister noted.

He added: “While Harjit Kaur was not handcuffed, she was maltreated in detention before she was put on the flight. We raised the matter of her maltreatment strongly with the American Embassy and asked the American authorities to look into it.”

Kaur, a Sikh woman who had lived in the US for more than three decades after moving to California in 1991, was deported in September by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She had repeatedly sought asylum but lost multiple appeals, including before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, as per a NDTV report.

After her arrest on September 8, she was transferred to a holding facility in Georgia on September 19 and deported on September 22.

She reportedly spent 60–70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite having undergone double knee replacements. She was given ice to take medication and denied appropriate food, with guards blaming her for being unable to eat the sandwich they provided, the report added.

18,822 Indians deported from the US since 2009

Responding to a separate set of questions from MP Ramji Lal Suman on the broader issue of deportations, Jaishankar said 18,822 Indian nationals have been deported from the US since 2009, the figure rose from 734 in 2009 to a record 3,258 in 2025 (as of November 28).

The statement explained that deportations typically involve individuals who entered the US unlawfully, overstayed visas, lacked valid documents, or have criminal convictions.

"Of these, 2,032 individuals (approximately 62.3%) [this year] were deported on regular commercial flights, while the remaining 1,226 (37.6%) arrived on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operated charter flights," he said.

The minister mentioned that India has raised concerns with the US regarding the treatment of deportees, particularly with respect to use of shackles, especially on women and children. The US has maintained that shackling forms part of its standard operating procedure to ensure safety on deportation flights.

Also read: Debt, Jobs and Agnipath: The Reality of 'Dunki' Youth Deported By the US

Jaishankar said, however, that no instances of women or children being shackled have been reported since a February 5 deportation flight.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also noted that criminal fugitives, including those wanted in India for serious offences are among deportees.

Individuals such as Lakhwinder Singh and Anmol Bishnoi, against whom lookout notices and arrest warrants have been issued by our law enforcement agencies, have been brought back on such deportation flights, Jaishankar said.

The minister also informed that based on accounts provided by deportees, investigations have been initiated against multiple illegal immigration agents and trafficking networks implicated in facilitating unlawful travel to the US.

"Based on the accounts and testimonies given by returning deportees, the Central and respective state governments along with the relevant law enforcement agencies, have registered a number of cases, and investigations as well as actions are ongoing against several illegal immigration agents, criminal facilitators and human trafficking syndicates that run these rackets," he said.

Jaishankar reiterated that the government gives “highest priority” to the safety, security and well-being of Indians abroad and continues to work with the US authorities on issues of deportation and illegal immigration.

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